Diagnostic Test II NAME________________________________________

Read the entire essay carefully. Next, proofread the essay for errors. If one of the underscored parts in
a line is incorrect, circle the letter below the error on your answer sheet. If all underscored parts in a
line are correct, circle E on your answer sheet. There is no more than one error in a line. You will
have 40 minutes to complete the test.

1. College demands a great deal from their students. They spend most of their
A B C D
pronoun reference
(its)

2. time and effort preparing for tests. It would seem that watching television; reading
A B C D
punctuation
(, use a comma)

3. a good book, and visiting friends are much easier tasks to perform, however, most
A B C D
comma splice
（; use a semicolon）

4. college students chose demanding, stressful days and nights of studying (especially at
A B C D
tense
(use the present ‘choose’)

5. exam time) over leisure pastimes. Thus, there must be major factors that motivates
A B C D
Subject-verb agreement
(motivate)

6. students to study. Self-satisfaction is certainly one motivation, in

A B C D
comma splice
（; use a semicolon）

7. addition, Academic competition and a personal interest in the

A B C D

capitalization
(academic)
8. subject are also incentives that encourages students to spend long,
A B C D
Subject-verb agreement
(encourage)

9. tiring hours in the college Library to complete their work.

A B C D
capitalization
(library)

10. First students study to fulfill personal goals; each individ-

A B C D
comma
(First, students)

11. uals’ goal may be different. Some persons may feel that they have fulfilled
A B C D

apostrophe
(each individual’s goal)

12. their potential if they earn a “C” in the course. While other students
A B C D
fragment
(, while other students)

13. may be satisfied with nothing less then an “A”. In either case, success
A B C D
wrong word
(than)

14. encourages success. When students study competently for one test,
A B C D
comma
(no need to use a
comma)

15. and are rewarded with a high grade. Then they are encouraged to study
A B C D
fragment
(, then )

16. more for the next test. This process had developed self-esteem and pride that,
A B C D
tense
(has developed)
 17. in turn, build self-confidence. When students are confident of their abilities
A B C D
fragment
(abilities, they are)

18. they are more likely too succeed at a chosen task. Consider, for example,
A B C D
wrong word
(to)

19. students who learned how to solve a chemical equation. Certainly,

A B C D
tense
(learn)

20. the next time they encounter a similar problem, or even a more advanced one
A B C D
comma
(need a comma)

21. they will be better prepared to answer it correct. As confidence grows,

A B C D
Syntax/adverb
(correctly)

22. so do the ability to do more. Each victory invites another one.

A B C D
Subject-verb agreement
(does)

23. Competition also encourages students’ success. Students competing for

A B C D

fragment
(compete)

24. high grades in the classroom as they do for records on athletic fields;
A B C D

25. however, academic competition can yeild rewards other than high grade-point
A B C D
spelling
(yield)
26. average. For example, if students pushed themselves intellectually to
A B C D
tense
(push)

27. compete for a scholarship, they also may develop new interests or
A B C D

28. skills. Students who strived to comprehend their most difficult

A B C D
tense
(strive)

29. subject will find that soon they will be able to enjoy them and see its
A B C D
pronoun reference
(it)

30. applications in the “real world”. Students may also begin to

A B C D
A period is always placed
inside the quotation marks
(see AAG p. 297)

31. synthesize materials from a number of fields hence, they will be prepared to approach
A B C D
Run-on
(fields. Hence,)
(fields; hence,)

32. new challenges. Finally, they will began to enjoy learning simply for its own sake.
A B C D
tense
(begin)

33. Students now will possess one of the great rewards of education an intellectual
A B C D
punctuation
(use a colon,
see p. 298)

34. curiosity about the world around him and a desire to learn more.
A B C D
pronoun
(them)
35. A third motivation is a genuine interest in a particular subject
A B C D
Run-on
(subject.)

36. when students are interested in a subject they tend to study harder,
A B C D
comma
(subject, they)

37. to devote more time to it, and to perform better. If students are interested
A B C D
38. in science, then they will probably devote additional time to
A B C D
39. science courses and excell in them. Another factor in developing
A B C D
spelling
(excel)

40. students’ interest in a coarse is the instructor; if the

A B C D
wrong
(course)

41. instructor demonstrated knowledge and enthusiasm for the material,

A B C D
tense
(demonstrates)

42. often the students will become interested in the subject when
A B C D
Run-on
(subject. When)

43. they develop an interest in the material, they will be motivated

A B C D

44. to learn it and learning will be a pleasure, not a chore.

A B C D

comma
(it, and)

45. Self-satisfaction, competition, and interest in the subject demand

A B C D
46. that students excel in college. For these reasons, serious students will often
A B C D
47. turn to their books on a dreary evening rather than to an episode of Friends
A B C D

48. or to someone’s party. The rewards they gain from their studying had been
A B C D
tense
(have been)

49. great. Gaining discipline, knowledge, a college degree, and employment

A B C D
fragment
(participial phrase)

50. in their select field. Certainly, college is worth the effort.

A B C D
syntax
(selected)